Conspiracy Chronicles
by saxgirl42
Summary: Mugen, Jin, and Fuu find themselves thrown into the middle of a gang's attempt to get a millionaire's money. Chaos ensues. Rated T for violence and language.
1. Suspicious Suppositions

This is my first fan-fiction to be uploaded here, so please be kind. And please comment!

Disclaimer: I do not, and never will, own "Samurai Champloo."

Enjoy!**  
**

**Suspicious Suppositions**

Three weary travelers entered Osaka with the hopes of a place to sleep and something to eat. The trio were a mixed bunch: one a young girl of only about fifteen or sixteen, petite and cute; another a tall, quiet samurai, as handsome as he was deadly; and the last a ruthless vagrant, uncouth and violent. Without a word, only the exchange of some of their rare money, the trio checked into a quaint inn and collapsed in their separate rooms into dreamless sleeps.

The girl, Fuu, awoke the next morning to be greeted by a pretty maid knocking at her door. A bit flustered and still partially asleep, Fuu stumbled toward the door and slid it open only slightly.

"Yes?" she asked quietly. The maid bowed politely and smiled.

"I have just come to inform you that breakfast is being served, and that your companions have both already awoken and had their fill. It is now about midday, so I would recommend you come down and get some food before the wild-haired one eats us clean," she announced. Fuu's eyes widened.

"WHAT? It's that late already, and no one woke me up? They'd better save me some food!" she said loudly, then slid the door shut once more and hurried to get dressed. _Those idiots_, she thought to herself, jumping up and down in her haste to slip on her usual pink kimono. _They could've at least woken me up! I'm starved!_ She grabbed a comb from off the dresser nearby and began to fuss with her brown hair when suddenly she stopped, staring at her reflection.

"Wow," she whispered to herself. "How long has it been since I looked at myself in a decent mirror?" She turned to the side a bit, modestly eyeing herself from all angles. She placed her hand on the small of her back and pulled her kimono tight, admiring her slimmer figure. _I lost weight!_ She grinned, finished with her hair, and ran downstairs.

Fuu emerged into a common room she had hardly noticed in her fatigued state the night before. Tables were set for customers and guests at the inn, but only one was occupied. She made a face at the vagrant, Mugen, as he scarfed down his meal with all the finesse of a cockroach. The samurai across from him, Jin, was much more refined and seemed to have already eaten his fill. He lifted his tea to his lips and let his eyes shift toward Fuu, who smiled at him.

"Good morning!" she gushed, flopping down into an empty chair at their table. Jin smiled slightly at her (Fuu had noticed in all their travelling that he wasn't much of a morning person.) and Mugen finally looked up from his plate.

"'Mornin'," he said with his mouth full, spraying food onto the table. Fuu was in much too good of a mood to let this disgust her, so she merely ignored it.

"How'd you two sleep?" she asked, motioning for the waitress to bring her some food. The old woman nodded and bustled into the kitchen, returning momentarily with a plate laden with all kinds of good food. Needless to say, she dove in.

"Well, thank you," replied Jin quietly. He set his tea down and watched, amused, as Fuu dug into her breakfast. Mugen just grunted, which Fuu assumed meant good.

The three sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the small town outside and the soft, comforting chatter of the inn's workers.

"Ahhh," Fuu sighed, relaxing after pushing away her final plate of food. "So good! I don't think I've been this content in a long time!" Mugen was about to say something when suddenly a cry echoed from the main entrance of the inn.

"SHE'S PERFECT!" The three companions turned, surprised, toward the door in time to see an overly dressed man and two women enter, marching straight toward their table. The man knelt before Fuu, taking her hand in his. "You, my dear, are going to be a star!" Mugen snorted, earning a ferocious glare from Fuu, who appeared intrigued.

"I'm sorry, sir, but what do you mean?" she asked, subtly trying to take her hand back. The man was relentless, though, and only grasped it tighter.

"You are going to be a star!" he repeated, grinning at her with slightly crooked teeth. The women behind him nodded enthusiastically, but Fuu ignored them. The man continued. "I am Otaku Mushihawa, an agent for the rich and famous. I look for new talent, new blood, if you will." He paused to laugh at his little quip, and the woman behind him twittered as well. Mugen rolled his eyes, but Jin shook his head at him slightly, warning him to stay out of the situation for now. "I was just wandering around this town, looking for talent, when suddenly BAM! I noticed you, sitting here: innocent, beautiful, unappreciated, I'm sure. Everything the media is looking for in a new face! So what do you say, will you try it out? Will you come to an interview with me?" Fuu was taken aback, her jaw agape.

"Umm... sure, why not?" she answered. Otaku jumped to his feet, clapping his hands together.

"Wonderful! Meet me at this address," he handed her a card, "in one hour. Ta!" And then he was gone, women and all. Fuu stared at the card in her hands in bewilderment, still not grasping what just happened.

"I don't buy it," said Mugen abruptly. Fuu looked up at him, frowning.

"Why not?" she demanded. "You don't think I could be a star?" Mugen crossed his arms, frowning right back at her.

"No, actually, I don't. But it's not only that. It's just fishy, that's all. It's too... too..." he searched for the word, but it was Jin who finally finished.

"Random. It's much too random. I don't like it, either. I don't think you should go," he said. Fuu couldn't believe her ears; both of them agreed on something, for one thing, and not only that, but it was something against her!

"I can't believe this! This could be my big shot!" she cried, rising from her seat. Jin closed his eyes and sighed, but Mugen got up with her, pointing an accusing finger in her face.

"You arrogant brat, you really think that bozo wants you because he thinks you can be a star? This is just another trap, like all the other things you get involved in! And just watch, you'll go to this thing, and me and Jin'll have to bust you out again!" he shouted. Fuu slapped his hand out of her face.

"You two just don't think I can take care of myself! Well fine, I'm going to this meeting on my own anyway! Good riddance to both of you idiots!" she yelled, then stormed back up to her room, leaving her two companions dumbstruck behind her.

Up in her room, Fuu shut the door and slumped onto her bed, tears threatening. _Oh, but those two infuriate me!_ she thought, slamming a fist into her pillow. But then another voice in her head retorted, _They're only trying to look out for you_. Fuu shoved that one to the back of her mind and stood to appraise herself in the mirror again, trying to see herself as the scout, Otaku, had seen her.

All she saw was a scrawny little fifteen year-old girl with big brown eyes. She pouted her lips a bit and leaned over, trying to make her cleavage stand out more, like it had on the two women accompanying Otaku, but it didn't work. She still only looked like Fuu.

"Darnnit," she cursed lightly, and focused on her hair, removing the pins and letting it cascade down to her shoulders. Still no good. She fluffed it around her face, mussing it slightly, then pouted her lips some more and made her eyes even larger.

"Double darnnit!" she said again, and sighed. Now she didn't even know what she looked like, but she wasn't herself, and that made her even sadder. She trudged back over to her bed and picked up the card. The calligraphy was showy and bold, and when she turned it over in her hands it almost seem to sparkle. A squeak from nearby made her jump, but she looked up to see only Momo staring at her, wide-eyed and curious. Fuu had to smile.

"Hey, Momo," she said softly, motioning for her pet to come sit on her shoulder. The flying squirrel obeyed, nipping at her finger playfully as she stroked his soft fur. "You agree with me, right? Those two losers are just worried over nothing. And I can take care of myself! Am I right?" Fuu could've sworn that the little creature had shook his head, but she decided to ignore him. What did a flying squirrel know, anyway?

Fuu froze; someone was coming upstairs. She listened closely to the footsteps and recognized Mugen's steel-clad sandals, followed by Jin's softer steps. As quietly as she could, she tiptoed over to the door so she could listen in on them.

"- still think we shouldn't let her go. That guy was way too fake, and you know it!" That was Mugen. Fuu frowned; was he really so worried about this? She heard Jin sigh and could picture him standing patiently beside Mugen, his dark eyes closed in thought.

"She'll never let us keep her from going. She's stubborn. But if you're up for it, I'd say we can go investigate," he said. Mugen scoffed.

"You mean spy?"

"That's not what I said." Mugen started to retort, but Jin interrupted him. "What I meant was that we could go with her and keep our eyes open. You know as well as I how many people are after our lives, _and _hers. I don't doubt at all that this is some kind of trap, but we'll never talk her out of it, so we may as well just face it like men," he explained. Mugen grunted in consent.

"Fine. Meet you here in a half hour," he said.

"Deal." And then there was silence as they entered their separate rooms.

Fuu turned away from the door, not believing her ears. Both of them were so convinced that this was a trap! Why would they think that they couldn't talk her out of it? She rubbed her eyes, cursing herself for being so stubborn and mean to them sometimes.

"I guess they really are looking out for me, huh, Momo?" she whispered to the animal, who was now resting on her pillow. Momo cheeped and snuggled down for a nap. Fuu sighed and began to preen for the next thirty minutes.

-The faster you comment, the faster I update. Hope you liked!


	2. Explosive Elegy

**_Author's Note: _**Hello, and welcome to the second chapter! I'll ask you all again to please review, and give me any comments or crits you can find!

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not, and never will, own "Samurai Champloo."

**Explosive Elegy**

The time flew by and soon enough it was time to go. Giving up on her brunette locks, she pinned them up once more in her usual style and exited her room to find Mugen and Jin already waiting for her in the hallway. Mugen's arms were crossed and he looked extremely pissed, but Jin smiled half-heartedly.

"We're going with you. End of story," he said. Fuu, who had been expecting this after listening in on them before, pretended to be surprised.

"But it's _my _chance at stardom!" she protested, hoping her acting skills were all right. Mugen shrugged and grabbed Jin around the shoulders, steering the stoic samurai toward the stairs.

"Whatever. You're gonna be late," he said. Fuu feigned a glare and little growl, but followed her companions anyway. _Thanks, you guys_.

The address on the card was only a few blocks away, in a rather deserted part of town. Fuu double checked it and took a deep breath, walking toward the entrance.

"Well, this is it. Here I g-" She was cut off when Jin grabbed her upper arm, pulling her to a sudden halt. She opened her mouth to yell, but he placed his other hand over her lips.

"Shush. I don't like this," he said, his sharp eyes scanning the building. Mugen came up to stand next to them, scratching his bristly chin.

"Looks fine to me," he said dully. Jin shot him a glare and finally let Fuu go.

"Then where is everyone? It's the middle of the afternoon. This is too empty for a normal city street. Didn't you notice?" Fuu hadn't, but now that she looked around she realized he was right. There was a large, dark cloud rolling in from the north, so usually people would be running around doing last minute chores so they wouldn't get caught the storm. But not today; the streets were virtually barren.

"That is weird," she agreed, suddenly wary. Mugen yawned.

"I'm bored. I'm going to go check out this place. You two chickens can wait out here," he said, and strode defiantly into the building.

"Mugen, _wait_!" Fuu called, about to run and follow him, but luckily Jin pulled her back once more. He wrapped his strong arms around her and shielded her with his body just as a gigantic explosion erupted from out of the depths of the building. Fuu screamed and shut her eyes as she felt herself and Jin get propelled away in the shock wave accompanying the explosion. Debris rained around them, large chunks of stone and wood from the exploding building. Fuu heard a pained grunt from above her head and felt Jin's hold on her go limp.

"_Jin!_" she screamed, but just then another explosion came from the building. She and Jin were separated, and she fell roughly to the ground. Fuu scrambled to her hands and knees and crawled quickly over to where Jin was lying on the ground, his face pale and blood-streaked. It took her only a moment to realize that he was unconscious, and as another great explosion came, she threw herself over him to protect him from any more debris. She suppressed shrieks of pain as shards of glass and wood showered down on her. A flaming log just barely missed Jin's head, and Fuu screamed, her body convulsing suddenly with sobs. She waited, crying, for another explosion, but it never came.

Warily, she lifted her head from where she had buried her face in the back of Jin's kimono. She had to work to get her hands out of the folds of the fabric; she was clutching him so tightly is seemed almost as though rigor mortis had set in. Jin was sprawled on his stomach, his head turned to the left, toward her. Fuu soundlessly wiped some of the blood from his brow; he didn't move. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Jin?" Nothing. His glasses were cracked and dusty, his eyes shut tight behind them. Fuu's lip quavered with oncoming sobs as she realized that he might be dead. "No... Jin, _please_, wake up," she pleaded, laying over his inert form again, listening for breathing or a heartbeat. Still, he didn't respond. Fuu sniffled and rose shakily to her feet, but a wracking sob emerged from deep in her throat and she collapsed once more, burying her head in her hands.

A realization hit her. She gasped and looked up from her filthy palms, her dark eyes wide.

"Mugen!" she cried, leaping to her feet once more and stumbling through the wreckage toward the remains of the building. Seeing nothing immediately, she called out his name again, looking around frantically. "_Mugen!_" She roared her frustration and spun around, but her path was blocked. She stopped short and stared, mouth agape.

"You..."

The flamboyant scout from earlier, Otaku, was standing before her, a naked sword in his hand. He grinned maniacally and tested the edge with his thumb, drawing a sliver of blood.

"So you survived. Good. Who was it that my suicide bomber killed?" he asked, as calmly as if they were talking over tea. Fuu's mouth opened and closed wordlessly, her hand moving toward where her tanto knife was safely hidden underneath her kimono. Otaku laughed at her fright. "My dear, you'll catch flies like that. Why don't you just answer my question before I take you?" Suddenly, Fuu wasn't as frightened as she was infuriated. This _bastard_ killed Mugen, and maybe Jin, too! She glared at him, unsheathing her tanto with a flourish.

"You - killed - my - _friends!_" she yelled, and leapt at him. Otaku was taken by surprise, allowing Fuu to get a good swing at his unprotected cheek. She sliced open his skin as easily as slicing butter, and he cried out in pain before shoving her off of him. Fuu landed on her back, and the air went rushing out of her lungs. She gasped for breath and watched helplessly as Otaku approached her, sword held high, ready for the downswing. Fuu closed her eyes, prepared to die and join Mugen and Jin, but the pain never came. Confused, she peeked and saw Otaku still standing with his sword in the air, but he was staring at something above her, absolutely terrified. Fuu couldn't bring herself to look, but she heard a cold voice speak from over her head.

"Back off." Two identical silver blurs sliced through Otaku's chest, the first from left to right, the second from right to left, crossing the first to make an x. Streaks of scarlet blood stained the scout's brightly colored gi, and Fuu had to scramble away to avoid being buried underneath his body. She stood in a hurry, turning to see her savior. Her eyes widened.

"Jin..." she whispered, slowly approaching him. The samurai was breathing deeply, his bloody sword tip stuck in the ground to help him balance. His head sagged onto his chest and he could barely stand. Fuu rushed over to him as he collapsed to his knees in the dirt and debris, only managing to stay upright because of the support of his sword. Fuu knelt beside him, taking his face in her hands.

"Jin, say something to me! Please!" she begged, lending her own support. Jin smiled weakly at her, almost unable to keep his eyes focused.

"Fuu... are you... all right?" he asked quietly. Fuu bit her lip and nodded, then flung her arms around his shaking shoulders, burying her face in his sleeve.

"Thanks to you," she whispered. It frightened her how much he was trembling. She clutched him close, praying that she wouldn't lose him again. His weary body grew heavy in her arms as he slipped once more toward unconsciousness. Fuu closed her eyes.

"Hold on, Jin, please don't leave me again. I need you," she pleaded softly, praying to whatever gods would listen that he would stay awake. Suddenly, Jin rose to his feet, pulling Fuu up with him. He still swayed, but his eyes were clearer as he looked around them warily, holding Fuu close with one arm.

"Do you hear that?" he asked. Fuu frowned, listening intently. She was about to answer no when she heard it: a distant, metallic clanging, like the clashing of swords. She dared a hope.

"Mugen?" she whispered, and Jin nodded slightly.

"Most likely. Listen - you can hear how uneven the attacks are, just like Mugen's." He smiled suddenly. "So he survived. Not surprising."

"Are you up to going to him?" Fuu asked, looking up at her companion warily. Jin thought for a second, then nodded determinedly.

"Let's go."

_**Author's Note:**_ I hope you liked! Bombs are dangerous, children - DO NOT PLAY WITH EXPLOSIVES. That is all. Oh, and please comment!


	3. Reality Returns

**_Author's Note: _**Chapter three is up... even though people aren't reviewing, I hope they're reading. C'mon, just a little feedback is all I ask! Please?

(sigh) Either way, I hope you enjoy!

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not, and never will, own Samurai Champloo. (broken record, broken record, broken record...)

**Reality Returns**

The sounds of battle became louder by the second, and finally Fuu and Jin emerged from the surrounding buildings to find two men fighting almost inhumanly near a wide river, which ran into a small forest a little ways away. It took only seconds to recognize Mugen, with his wild hair and even wilder fighting style. His opponent was unfamiliar - a tall man with a shaved head - but Fuu was too busy staring at her friend in amazement to notice him yet.

_How the hell did he survive that?_ she mused, taking a couple steps closer to the battle. _He's like a cat, with nine lives! Or a... a..._

"A cockroach." Fuu jumped and glanced behind her. Jin was watching the fight calmly, his arms crossed and his sword now sheathed. "He's like a cockroach, that can never be killed." Fuu would have chided him about that comment if she hadn't seen the subtle relief on his face. With a small smile she turned back to the battle.

Mugen - sans his red over-shirt, plus some new cuts and bruises - looked to be in top-shape, dodging and striking with all of his old speed. The bald man would lunge and thrust, but catch only air as Mugen would back-flip out of the way, knocking his opponent's sword away with his own. Then he would slash back in retaliation, usually only missing the bald man by mere centimeters. It went on this way for another two or three minutes, but then Mugen caught sight of Fuu and Jin, still watching from about fifteen feet away, and paused in his attack, his eyes widening in shock. The bald man looked back, as well, then surprisingly ran away.

"Hey, get back here, you bastard! I'm not finished with you yet!" Mugen yelled, but the man had already disappeared back into the city, and the darkness of the oncoming storm hid his path. Mugen's shoulders sagged, and he sheathed his sword reluctantly before walking over to his companions. Fuu watched him apprehensively. This was very un-Mugen-like; usually he wouldn't hesitate to chase that man down. Something had to be wrong.

Mugen stopped a little apart from Fuu and Jin, not looking at them.

"I thought you two were dead," he said finally, glancing up. Fuu gaped.

"_You_ thought _we_ were dead? YOU WERE THE ONE IN AN EXPLOSION!" she exclaimed. Mugen shrugged and didn't reply. Again, incredibly un-Mugen. Fuu started to get worried.

"How did you survive that, anyway?" Jin had come up to join them. Mugen shrugged again, absently rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm not entirely sure. I thought I was a goner as soon as I heard the explosion, but something must've been blocking me. All I remember is getting blasted off my feet, then my shirt was on fire. I ran outside, threw it off, and then that bald guy was there. Still, there was no sign of either of you... I thought maybe you'd died. That maybe he'd killed you." Fuu's expression softened, and she slowly moved forward and embraced him tightly.

"Well, we're okay. I'm just glad that you're alive, Mugen," she said. Jin looked up at the darkening sky warily.

"Maybe we should go back to the inn. It looks like a bad storm is coming," he said quietly.

So the three weary travelers once again walked back to the inn, earning strange looks from passersby because of their tattered clothes and bruised bodies.

At last, they reached their rooms. Fuu was about to close her door for the night when a loud crack of thunder echoed through the room, making her jump. She clutched at her chest to calm her beating heart; she had immediately assumed it to be another bomb. _Oh, geez,_ she thought. _How am I ever going to sleep when I'm so paranoid?_

"Mugen, Jin, wait!" she called suddenly, opening her door again. Her companions both halted, halfway into their own rooms, and turned to her. Fuu gulped and hesitated, then took a deep breath.

"Would you... would you two spend the night with me? I mean, in my room?" she asked, her nervous voice almost inaudible over the pounding rain outside. The two swordsmen exchanged glances; Mugen shrugged, and Jin smiled.

"I'll grab some blankets," the samurai said, and entered his room. Mugen merely sighed.

"I'll be back; nature calls. Save me a good place on the floor," he said, and trudged down the stairs that led to the out-house. Fuu used the time to change quickly out of her kimono, then walked over to her bed and curled up in her sheets, waiting for her friends. She was already almost asleep when she heard Jin enter quietly and settle himself on the floor near the wall by her head, followed by Mugen, who threw himself on the floor near the door and was snoring within seconds.

Fuu had never felt so safe.

**_Author's Note:_** Once agan, I must ask you to please review! Thanks!


	4. Midnight Musings

_**Author's Note: **_Rock on! FINALLY people are commenting! Thanks to the few that did - you guys rock! As promised, the more you comment, the more I update, so... here it is: chapter 4! Enjoy!

**_Disclaimer: _**... Do you really think I own "Samurai Champloo"? Psshaw.

**Midnight Musings**

She awoke late that night... or maybe it was early the next morning, she didn't know. Either way, the room was dark and heavy with stillness; even Mugen's snoring had ceased. Fuu opened her eyes to the pitch black, wondering what had woken her. She rolled onto her back, slowly adjusting to the meager light the veiled moon and stars outside provided, and heaved a sigh of contentment.

_Wow_, she thought silently, letting her eyes wander over the rafters above. _I feel as if nothing bad can possibly happen with those two so close._ Fuu flipped back over to her side and watched her companions sleep. Mugen was sprawled on his back, one arm flung out toward the middle of the room, the other behind his head as a pillow. Jin was lying more peacefully on his side, his glasses removed and neatly folded next to his head, his two swords unbuckled but easily in reach.

_I wonder if I'd feel this secure with anyone else. I mean, what if I hadn't chosen these two to travel with me? Or I had asked only one?_ Fuu smiled, trying to imagine the journey so far with only one of her friends. With only Mugen she'd probably fear for her innocence, and with Jin she most likely would have lost her voice from lack of use. These pictures made her snigger to herself; how strange that she had never thought of them before.

Unconsciously, Fuu's mind ventured back to earlier that day when she had thought they were both dead. She had, surprisingly, been ready to join them and just end it right there. Had they really grown to mean that much to her?

Then a frightening thought hit her: they were warriors, right? What if one - or, god forbid, both - actually _did_ die? How would she cope?

_I couldn't. Especially if both were gone. I'd be alone again, so I'd probably just live out the rest of my life in a stupid little teahouse. _

Tears suddenly crept into the corners of Fuu's eyes; she irritatedly wiped them away with the back of her hand. _Strange_, she thought, _what brought those on?_

_This journey _will _end someday. Someday I _will_ be alone again, and live out the rest of my life in a stupid little teahouse_, said a quiet voice in her head. Fuu hated that voice; she shoved it to the back of her mind.

"That may be true," she whispered to herself in the dark, "but not now. Right now, Mugen and Jin are still here, and I'm safe."

Fuu went back to sleep with a smile.

Pleasant warmth spread slowly over Fuu's face, and light assaulted her closed eyes. She shut them tighter and pulled the covers up farther, burrowing under them. Birds chirped cheerily outside her window. She turned away, out of spite, and wriggled further beneath the blankets.

"I don' wanna get up yet," she muttered into the warm fabric, but the sun and birds wouldn't listen to her and continued their barrage of light and noise.

Fuu finally sighed and sat up in bed, throwing the covers off and rubbing her eyes with closed fists to get the sleep out of them. She paused for a second, listening; nothing. Wait, that couldn't be right - what about Mugen and Jin?

She lowered her hands and glanced around to find an empty room. Initially, she panicked, her heart leaping into her throat; where could they be? Had something happened to them? Then she saw the small piece of paper lying on the floor in the middle of the floor. She slid out of bed and stooped to pick it up, recognizing Jin's neat, concise script:

_Breakfast._

Fuu sat down heavily on the stool saved for her at the breakfast table, smiling brightly.

"Good morning!" she sang, grabbing a bowl of rice from Mugen before he could touch it. He glared at her, his hand still half-raised to where the bowl used to be.

"Hey, gimme that," he growled. Fuu just smiled at him and used her chopsticks to shove a clump of the rice into her mouth. Mugen's glare intensified and his hand went to the hilt of his sword threateningly. Jin, who hadn't even looked up from the paper he was reading, pushed another bowl of rice toward Mugen, who blinked at it. "What the -"

"I'm not hungry."

"Whatever - your loss."

Fuu glanced at Jin's reading material as Mugen gorged himself. All she could see clearly was the heading: "Attention." Her curiosity piqued, she finished off her rice bowl and tried reading subtly over Jin's shoulder.

"It's an announcement about the explosion yesterday, asking if anyone saw it happen or knows who did it," Jin explained, once again without even looking up from it. Fuu frowned.

"Are you going to say something?" she asked. Jin gave the smallest shake of his head and said nothing, but Mugen put down his now-empty bowl and pointed an accusing finger at Fuu.

"No, he ain't, and you're not gonna say nothing either. Cuz then they'll wanna know how I survived, and what happened to that scout guy, and Jin'll have to admit that he killed him, and then he'll get in trouble. It's just better if we keep quiet." Fuu nodded; she understood, of course. It wouldn't do for them to bring attention to themselves, anyway.

"So, what are we doing?" Fuu wondered after a couple minutes of silence. Jin folded the announcement and slipped it into a pocket.

"I thought we'd spend one more day and night here, then get moving again early tomorrow. There's someone I have to see who lives near the city, so I'm going to head there now," he said softly. He rose from the table and started to leave.

"Wait, Jin!" Fuu called after him. He stopped at the door, turning back. "We should all meet back here for dinner. You know, as a kind of last-night-in-Osaka thing." Jin nodded with a small smile and was gone.

"Well," yawned Mugen, rising to his feet and stretching. "I'm gonna head off, too." He flicked a small wave in Fuu's direction, then swaggered out the door. "Later."

Fuu opened her mouth to tell him not to go far, then sighed. _When does he ever listen to me, anyway?_ She left a couple coins as a tip on the abandoned table, then went out into the day.

_**Author's Note:**_ Woot - I just read over this chapter and realized how I set up stuff here that applies to later parts in the story... so pay attention! AND COMMENT! (Please and thank you and love!)


	5. Cunning Consultations

**_Author's Note:_** Yes, I know this is very short, but don't worry - I'm uploading the chapter after it, as well. I still would like to see some feedback, so bring on the comments, people!

And enjoy!

**_Disclaimer:_** I don't own "Samurai Champloo." Chyah.

**Cunning Consultations**

"What do you mean, you 'couldn't finish the job'?" The assassin cringed at this question; he had been dreading coming to report to his employer all night. Now he dropped to his knees before him in a subjugating bow, arms extended out in front of him on the floor.

"The samurai survived, as well. There was no way I could kill both with only myself and my sword. I had to run." He waited, every one of his muscles tense with anxiety, but his master said nothing.

Finally: "You mean to tell me that they're _both_ alive?" The assassin shuddered; that tone embodied pure malice. He might as well be screaming with rage, but the assassin didn't know if it would have the same effect. "_Gorin?_"

"Um, yes, sir, yes. I regret to inform you that they both survived," the assassin, Gorin, stammered, still not daring to look up at the man seated across from him. His employer heaved a sigh.

"You have to finish it. I want the girl by no later than midnight tonight, do you understand? I think you forget that you work not only for me, but also for higher powers above me. They direly need this girl, and we need the money she can provide. Give her to me _tonight_." Gorin nodded and rose to his feet, keeping his eyes lowered.

"Yes, sir. But may I ask how?" His master angrily slammed his sake cup down on the table, making Gorin jump.

"I don't know, _you're_ the assassin! Use swords, use poison, use trickery, I DON'T CARE! JUST BRING HER TO ME _TONIGHT_!" he roared, finally showing how fury. "Now be out of my sight." Gorin nodded again and, not wanting to aggravate his employer more, didn't hesitate to turn his back and sprint out the door.

**_Author's Note: _**Comments, please!


	6. Ruthless Rascals

**_Author's Note:_** As promised, here's the other chapter to make up for the previous one being so darn short. Enjoy and comment!

**_Disclaimer:_** Oy, again? -sigh- Okay, I don't own "Samurai Champloo."

**Ruthless Rascals**

Fuu wandered aimlessly through the busy city-streets, glancing at the venders' carts and the loaded wagons being wheeled along the side-roads. Once she almost tripped over three little girls setting up a game of hopscotch; she smiled at the small dark-haired girl holding the dirty piece of chalk and was dismayed when the girl's eyes widened and she backed away. Confused and hurt, Fuu hurried away from the girls and back into the flow of traffic, wondering what that was about.

She walked around for a good hour or two before her stomach started to rumble with hunger and her feet began to hurt. With a sigh she turned, prepared to head back to the inn for a meal, but a boy cut off her path.

He was dressed in a simple shirt and shorts, colorful but dirty, and he had a strange metal ring in his bottom lip. He was grinning at her wolfishly, his arms crossed across his thin chest.

"Where you off to in such a hurry, sweetie?" he asked. Fuu frowned and tried to shove past him, but his feet were planted firmly and she couldn't even budge him.

"Away from you. Let me pass," she said angrily, trying to push him again. He caught her hands in his and held them, smirking.

"Ooo, I like 'em feisty," he said as Fuu struggled to get free. She tried kicking him, but he swiftly dodged it, still keeping a firm grip on her hands. His own palms were sweaty and hot, and Fuu thought she could smell alcohol on his breath, even though he looked to be only about her age. She attempted twisting away, but even that didn't work.

"Let me go, you jerk!" she scolded, growing more frightened and disgusted by the moment. Suddenly she was surrounded by three more boys, and together they managed to pull her into a nearby alley. It was empty and dark, and Fuu didn't want to know what they had planned. She opened her mouth to scream, but all that came out was a squeak before one of the new boys clapped a large hand over her lips, muffling whatever pathetic noise she could make.

"Well, boys, what have we here?" asked a gravelly voice, belonging to one of the new boys. Fuu began to panic as all of the guys chuckled to themselves. What were they going to do to her?

"A tasty little morsel, from the looks of it," said a deep voice from directly behind her, presumably the one whose hand was serving as a gag. "Where'd you find 'er, Yao?" The first boy, who was still holding Fuu's hands tightly, lifted his chin a bit higher, proud of himself.

"She was just walking along innocently down the street, and then bumped into me." He snorted to himself at this little joke, shifting both of Fuu's hands to one of his own. Fuu used this as an opportunity to wrench herself free, then kick him in the private parts, then whirl around and knock out the guy holding her from behind, then get away because the other two were too dumbfounded to follow.

Well, that was the plan at least. Instead, her try at wrenching away was feeble, and Yao merely caught her again before digging in his pockets and producing a couple pieces of thick twine. Fuu began to sweat when she saw it. The deep voice over her head chuckled.

"She's nervous now, man. Saw the string and started to sweat." He paused, and Fuu could feel his rancid breath on her neck as he breathed in and then exhaled. "Mmm... still smells sweet." She couldn't suppress a shudder at this, and the gravelly voice laughed.

"You said she was walking 'long innocently, right?" Yao nodded, trying to disentangle the twine one-handed, and gravel-voice continued. "That's funny, 'cause after we're done with 'er she might not be so innocent no more." This got a laugh from out of all the guys, and Fuu thought she'd fall from shaking so much. She struggled some more, trying to at least get the deep-voiced boy's hand from her mouth so she could scream, but her captor put another arm around her torso and held her tightly to himself, making sure she couldn't budge.

_Oh my God. They're going to rape me. They're going to rape me, then kill me, and I'll never find the sunflower samurai. I'll never even get to see Mugen and Jin again._ Tears of despair and terror crept into her eyes and started to leak down her cheeks. One salty drop fell on her assaulter's hand and he guffawed.

"Hey, boys, we made 'er cry!" The whole gang erupted into raucous bouts of laughter, but suddenly they all stopped. Fuu, who had shut her eyes to try and escape at least with her mind, peeked and saw a gaping Yao staring at something over her shoulder.

"Well, well, well. We havin' a party back here?" a familiar voice quipped, and Fuu could have collapsed with relief when she heard metal-soled sandals clack-clacking along the stones.

"Why don't you let her go," Mugen said. Fuu smiled against her captor's hand; she didn't think she had ever been so happy to hear her companion's voice. None of the boys moved; they were paralyzed with shock and fear. Suddenly, the boy holding her from behind stiffened noticeably, and Fuu guessed that Mugen had unsheathed his sword and was holding it to the boy's neck.

"I _thought_ I told you to let her go," the swordsman growled, and Fuu suddenly found herself free to move. She spun immediately and ran behind Mugen, grabbing the back of his jacket and peeking around his torso to see her assaulters clearly. As she had thought, they were just a bunch of boys around her age, all wearing peasant clothes and with strange piercings. Mugen's sword was still out, and he taunted the boys with it mercilessly.

"Never seen a sword from this angle, have ya?" he asked jovially, pointing the tip of his sword at the bridge of Yao's nose. The boy shook his head, no, as he stared almost comically at the sword with crossed eyes. Mugen scoffed and sheathed his sword in a flurry.

"You bore me. Get outta here, and leave this girl alone." The gang didn't need to be persuaded; they dispersed as quickly as lightning and ran away into the crowds. Mugen groaned and absently scratched his head. "How pathetic. Waste of my time. Hey, you okay?" It took a second for Fuu to realize he was asking her, and she nodded hastily.

"Me? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. They really hadn't done anything yet," she said, waving a hand. Mugen looked at her sideways, his eyes incredulous.

"You're crying," he stated. Fuu hurried to wipe her eyes, using her sleeve for lack of a handkerchief. Mugen sighed and turned back in the direction he had come from. "Let's go. You're staying with me for now, all right?"

"All right," Fuu said meekly, and the pair exited the alley and emerged into the shopping district discreetly, so as not to attract unwanted attention from any people who had heard commotion in the alleyway.

Fuu stayed by Mugen's side all afternoon, and found that once again she had a feeling of safety as she had never experienced before. By the time they started to make their way back to the inn, the sun had already begun to set, and both of their stomachs were protesting being denied food.

"I wonder if Jin's back yet," Mugen mused, resting his hands behind his head as they walked. Fuu shrugged, wondering whom it was that Jin would've visited.

"Hey!" A small female voice called out, and Fuu glanced toward it, surprised to see the little dark-haired girl from before. She stopped walking, pulling Mugen to a halt beside her, and waited for the child to run up to them, her hair and kimono slightly mussed. "I'm sorry, lady. I thought you were someone else," the little girl said with a bow, then handed Fuu a flower and ran away again.

"What the hell was that about?" Mugen demanded. Fuu shrugged again, but this time with a wide smile.

"I guess we'll never know."

**_Authors Note: _**Comments, comments, COMMENTS! -bounces-


	7. Poisonous Predicament

**_Author's Note: _**Another fairly short chapter, but a necessary one. I'll put the next one up here soon so you don't have to wait too long for more reading material.

Warning: In case you haven't previously noticed (-cough- bomb chapter -coughcough-) I can be kind of mean to the guys... here's just a little more author-caused cruelty. But don't worry - it'll all resolve itself. -nod-

**_Disclaimer: _**Still no owning of "Samurai Champloo" here...

**Poisonous Predicament**

As it turned out, Jin was already seated at a table when they entered together, and he smiled at them. Fuu smiled back, but she thought she saw something in Jin's eyes that didn't reflect the geniality of his smile. The moment passed, though, and soon they were all gorging themselves on the good, warm food supplied by the kitchen.

Finally, Mugen sat back with a sigh after his third plateful of dumplings, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Damn, I didn't know I was so beat," he cursed after failing to suppress a yawn. He blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to focus them. The room was spinning too fast; he hadn't even had anything to drink, and yet his mind was acting as it did when he was completely wasted.

"Mugen, are you okay?" Fuu asked, her voice worried. Suddenly Jin moaned and gripped his head, cursing darkly under his breath. Fuu frowned at the both of them. "What's wrong with you two? Hello?" She was about to yell at them that this wasn't funny when Mugen emitted a loud groan and collapsed facedown onto the table. Startled, Fuu jumped up from the table, her heart racing. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"Poison, Fuu. We've been poisoned," Jin muttered groggily. With great effort, he rose from the table, swaying, and grabbed Fuu by the arm, beginning to lead her away. "You have to hide. They must be after you." Fuu glanced back at their table.

"But Mug-"

"We can't do anything for him right now. As your bodyguards, our first priority is you. I need you to go to your -" He broke off with a moan just as they reached the stairs, staggering to a halt. He shut his eyes, his face contorted in pain, and fell to his knees on the stairs, breathing heavily. Fuu knelt beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Jin, you're scaring me," she said softly. Jin forced his eyes open and gripped Fuu by the shoulders.

"Run, Fuu," he hissed, then his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell on the stairs in a dead faint. Fuu didn't react for a second, her mind reeling. She stared at Jin's inert form, barely comprehending what had just happened. Panicking, she reached down and shook him.

"Jin?" No response; his head lolled on his shoulders, and Fuu's breath quickened. She tapped his cheek. "Wake up!" Still nothing. Fuu screamed and ran away from the stairs, over to the table and Mugen. "Mugen? Mugen!" Desperately, she shoved him a bit too forcefully, and he slid off his chair and the table to fall heavily onto the ground, unmoving.

"NO!" Fuu shrieked, backing away and clutching her face in horror. "No no no no no..." Suddenly, she backed up into something solid and felt a cold, sharp object get pressed up against her throat.

"Don't move. Don't even scream. I won't hesitate to kill you," growled a deep voice above her head. Fuu stiffened with terror.

"Did you... did you kill them?" she asked squeakily, almost not wanting to hear the answer.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. The doses they were supposed to get were meant to be lethal, but there's no telling how much poison they actually consumed. From the looks of things, though, I'd be willing to bet they're alive still, so don't you worry... yet." Fuu didn't know if this satisfied her or not, but her heartbeat slowed a bit nonetheless.

"I'll do anything you want. Just promise me you won't kill them." The man laughed, a strong, booming sound that echoed through the entire inn.

"Don't worry. If I was ever going to kill them, it was with poison. I know that if I faced either of your friends - the samurai _or_ the vagrant - I'd lose my life in a second. That doesn't give me much incentive to fight fair, does it?" He laughed again, then surprisingly let Fuu go, stepping around her toward where Mugen's unconscious form lay. "Even so," the man said, "I think I'll tie them up a bit. You know, just in case." He was about to stoop down beside Mugen when suddenly he shook his head with another bark of laughter, slapping his forehead with a large hand. "I almost forgot! While I do this, I can't have you running away." He was in front of her in two steps, grinning almost handsomely before he dealt a swift blow to a nerve at the base of her neck, and the last thing Fuu noticed was his shiny bald scalp before she knew no more.

**_Author's Note: _**I warned you I was mean! Please keep commenting, though! Thanks! -huggles readers-


	8. Vengeful Vagrant

**_Author's Note:_** Hello, again! The story's getting somewhere, now - the gears of the plot are finally chugging into motion!

Warning: This is a very Mugen-based chapter. In other words, be prepared for much language and violence. I tried not to make it _too_ graphic, but meh. -shrug-

**_Disclaimer:_** Yeah... I still own no part of "Samurai Champloo."

**Vengeful Vagrant**

Mugen swam through the dark and cold, with the strange feeling that he had been there before. The damp atmosphere was heavy around him, weighing down on his leaden limbs and dragging him farther from the light far above. He struggled to breach the heaviness, to free himself from this prison, and soon felt his mind open into clear, open coolness. With the coolness came pain, with the pain came realization, and with the realization came consciousness.

Mugen started awake, his eyes opening to darkness. His head still throbbed painfully, and when he made to rub it, he noticed his bonds. He was tied tightly, hand and foot, restricting all movement. Cursing darkly, he peered into the emptiness around him and recognized his own room at the inn. Strange... the last thing he remembered was eating dinner with Jin and Fuu -

_JIN AND FUU!_ his mind suddenly yelled. _Are they all right? Did they also... also... _He paused in his train of thought; he didn't even know what had happened to him. Had he been poisoned? If only it weren't so dark, and he could move! Mugen let out a frustrated growl and struggled against his bonds, but his arms were still weak from being drugged. (He rightfully considered poison to be the blame of his current condition.)

_My sword, _he thought suddenly, and turned over onto his side. Luckily, his sword lay in its sheath right beside him. He inched up like a worm until he could reach the hilt, then carefully slid it free of its covering. Biting his tongue in concentration, he slit the bonds on his wrists, then sliced the rope around his ankles and was free.

Mugen jumped to his feet, sword poised defensively against whatever might be lurking in the dark, and immediately regretted it; his weary head let out a complaintive throb and he cried out in pain, gripping his temples.

"Shit!" he cursed under his breath, recovering slowly. He warily lifted his head again and looked around the dark room. It was completely empty except for the normal cot, dresser, and sheets. Mugen took one step and was at the door, pressing one ear against the paper: nothing.

Just in case, he slid the door open quietly and peeked out both ways before entering the hallway. His first destination: Jin's room.

The room was quiet and dark behind the closed door. Mugen contemplated knocking, but he finally decided that if he had been poisoned, they all had, and Jin wouldn't be able to answer the door anyway. So he kicked it in carelessly and entered the room, keeping a tight grip on the sword by his side. His eyes needed a second to adjust to the pitch darkness, but once they focused, he noticed that the room was empty.

"What the -?" he started, but stopped when he noticed the two piles of severed twine on the ground. He growled and kicked at the nearest string. "GOD DAMNIT, YOU BASTARD! WAITTA LEAVE WITHOUT ME!" he roared, but then he noticed a sheet of paper on the ground. It was the same one Jin had written to Fuu on that morning. Mugen picked it up, and decided literacy was a pretty handy thing:

_Mugen - Meet me out back._

-----

It was dark outside the inn, and Mugen struggled to see his surroundings once he made it into the back alleyway.

"Jin?" he called hoarsely. Someone touched his shoulder and he jumped, his hand flying defensively to the hilt of his sword.

"Relax, it's just me," a familiar voice hissed. Mugen sighed and turned to face Jin in the darkness.

"Where's Fuu?" he asked.

"The assassin from before took her. Remember the bald man you fought with yesterday?" Jin asked quietly, his eyes scanning the alley for danger the whole time. Mugen growled and punched the wall suddenly, breathing heavily.

"I _knew_ I should have killed him! DAMNIT!This is ALL MY FAULT!" he yelled. Jin glared at him calmly, completely unfazed by the sudden outburst.

"Don't give yourself so much credit. Someone has been after Fuu since we got here," he said softly. Mugen roared and kicked at a nearby barrel, sending it flying down the alley.

"But _why_? Why Fuu? Shouldn't people be after us? We're the ones who do all the killing!" he exclaimed, still seething.

"I know, Mugen, but you need to calm down. We shouldn't attract attention to ourselves," Jin scolded, throwing a nervous glance toward the end of the alleyway.

"I don't care if the whole fucking world knows we're here! Let them come, I'll kill everyone I have to until we get Fuu back!" Mugen barked. Jin frowned at his companion.

"But Mugen -"

"Don't you say it. I don't care. I'm gonna find Fuu, damnit, and I'm gonna kill whatever bastards did this to her, and anyone else who stands in my way! And that includes you, four-eyes, so you can either help or get the _fuck_ outta my way!" Mugen roared. Jin opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Mugen growled and shoved past him, then sprinted out of the alley, disappearing into the night. Jin watched him go helplessly, unsure of what to do, then sighed and left the alleyway, as well, but in the opposite direction of Mugen.

-----

It took about a half-mile for Mugen to calm down enough for him to feel bad about screaming at Jin. He stopped running and glanced behind him, expecting to see the bespectacled samurai just a few houses away, but he was nowhere in sight; the road behind him was completely deserted. He contemplated returning to find the ronin, and maybe apologize, but that really wasn't his style. It made him uncomfortable just thinking about it.

"Damn," he cursed, stuffing his hands in his pockets and turning away from the empty street behind him. Mugen wasn't usually one to brood, but tonight definitely called for some thinking on his part. He really did feel guilty about not killing that bald guy. If Mugen had known that he would eventually come back to hurt Fuu, he would have chased the bastard down and finished it the day before.

Fuu... poor Fuu, getting caught up in all this. As much as Mugen pretended that he didn't like her, the girl had started to grow on him lately and he felt himself becoming more and more protective. Hell, just the day before, when he had seen those thugs harassing her, it had taken everything he had not to slice them all into ribbons right there. And when he had thought she and Jin were dead... he didn't even want to remember the thoughts that had come to his head on _that_ occasion.

Mugen hadn't even noticed how far he had walked from the inn, nor had he been paying attention to where he was going. He was snapped back to himself, however, at the sound of a sword being unsheathed to his left. He immediately grabbed his own and brandished it toward the shadows menacingly.

"Who's there?" he demanded, cursing the darkness that so hindered his vision. A voice chuckled humorlessly.

"Impressive. I thought the dosage I gave you would have kept you out for longer than a couple hours," the voice said. Mugen felt a familiar rage begin to boil in the pit of his stomach.

"_You _poisoned me and Jin?" he demanded, his voice low with fury.

"Is that the samurai's name? I didn't catch it... pity our most recent meeting had to be cut so short. I wish I could have fought him on different terms - he was quite talented, I must say. However, if I had fought him fairly, I surely would have perished." Mugen growled; the voice was taunting him, and it was moving. Now it came from behind his back.

"You fought Jin? When?" Mugen asked, now growing desperate; he still couldn't see where the voice was coming from, and it was beginning to unnerve him.

"A few minutes ago." Mugen's heart jolted somewhere near his Adam's apple; if this man had just fought Jin, and now _he _was here... that meant...

Mugen gulped.

"Where is he now?"

"That doesn't matter. He's dead." Mugen's eyes widened in horror and his insides clenched. His sword hand was beginning to shake.

"You - you're lying," he stammered. _It can't be. I just talked to him. He can't be dead. He's not. _I _have to kill him!_

"I'm afraid not," the voice said, now somewhere off to Mugen's right. "I know this must be hard for you to absorb, so I'll just make this quick." Then suddenly a sword flashed right before Mugen's nose; he leapt back just in time, but not before he noted the blood already on the blade. And with that quick glimpse of proof, Mugen found the perfect way to unleash his anguish.

He could see the assassin now. The one who took first Fuu, then Jin. The only real friends Mugen had had in a very long time.

Mugen saw him.

And then he killed him.

It wasn't a clean kill, but a slow, painful one. Mugen wanted the killer to feel all the agony that was coursing through his own veins. First he took the assassin's hands with one swipe, then his feet, from the ankles down. The man was already begging for mercy, but Mugen wouldn't hear it; pure, unadulterated rage was rushing through his veins, and there wasn't the least bit of pity - or even humanity - in his eyes as he skillfully took the assassin's tongue, then both of his eyes. Out of pure malice, he finally took the killer's manhood, and stepped away, watching his victim bleed and writhe on the ground.

"That was for Fuu," he growled, then stepped forward and rested his sword right beside the wretched man's throat.

"And this," he muttered, "is for Jin." One swift blow, and the head fell away from the twitching body. Blood splattered Mugen's shirt and face and arms, but he didn't wipe it off. His sword was completely coated in the scarlet liquid, but he left it naked in his hands.

He lifted his eyes to the starry sky above and let out a feral, animal-like roar that would have made any late-night listeners shudder.

**_Author's Note: _**Poor Mugen... Comments, comments, comments!


	9. Incorrect Identities

**_Author's Note: _**Chapter 9 is up... and now we're getting somewhere! The plot is _finally_ moving along, so make sure you keep reading! I'll update again soon, I promise.

Eugh. School's starting soon, also. The swim season is already well under way, and to put that _with_ high school makes me shudder. I hope I'll find time enough to at least finish this story...

**_Disclaimer:_** Nope, don't own "Samurai Champloo." But I do own Ishido! ... Just read on if you're confused. -impish smile-

**Incorrect Identities**

Fuu awoke with a groan in a surprisingly comfortable bed. Her head was throbbing, and she moaned and clutched at her temples before suddenly remembering what had happened. When her memory returned full-force, she sat bolt upright in the bed, eyes wide and head spinning.

The bed she was lying on was in the middle of a plain room, completely unfurnished besides a rickety old chair beneath a high window on the wall to her left.

"Where am I?" she murmured. Then she gasped. "Mugen and Jin! Are they all right?"

She had to get out.

In a flash, she had swung her legs out of the bed and jumped to her feet, then bolted toward the door, not surprised to find it locked. With a growl she began to hammer on the solid wood.

"LET ME OUT! SOMEBODY HELP ME! LET ME GO!" Fuu screamed, banging loudly on the door. She heard muffled footsteps on the other side and paused in her shrieks, then backed away hurriedly as the lock clicked and the door opened.

In the doorway was none other than a little boy, about half her age, she would have guessed. His dark hair was mussed and sticking up in the back, as though he had just gotten out of bed, but his gray eyes were bright and alert as they glared at her. He scurried into the room, then turned and locked the door behind him.

"Shut-up, girly, or my master will come in here, and you don't want that!" he scolded, turning to glower up at her again. Fuu frowned.

"Who do you work for? Why am I here? What do you want?" she demanded. The little boy put a hand up to stem the flow of questions, closing his eyes sagely.

"I'm afraid I can't answer all of those questions, girly." Fuu huffed in frustration and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Then what are you here for?" she asked. The little boy stuck out his chest importantly, looking quite pleased with himself.

"My master sent me here to prepare you for a meeting with him, discussing your ransom, girly," he answered smartly. Fuu quirked an eyebrow at the boy and couldn't help but smirk.

"A ransom? And who does your master expect to pay it? Mugen and Jin?" She snorted. "I'm afraid that if your master wants money, he's going to have to kidnap someone else, because the three of us are damn near broke. And stop calling me girly; I have a name, you know." The boy guffawed outright at this, catching Fuu off guard.

"You? _Broke_? Puh-lease. Your family is one of the richest in Japan, Miss Yamanuki." The boy shook his head and headed back toward the door, then, still chuckling to himself. "Come on."

But Fuu was frozen, staring at the boy in confusion.

"I'm sorry, what did you call me?" she asked quietly. The boy turned back to her, frowning.

"Miss Yamanuki. You said to stop calling you girly," he said. "I'm sorry, would you prefer Sazuko?" Fuu said nothing, only gaped at the poor boy, who now looked even more confused then her.

Then suddenly she threw her head back and laughed. The little boy staggered backward, now looking more frightened than anything.

"Er... Miss Yamanuki?" he asked, his voice trembling. Fuu finally gained control of herself, wiping tears from her eyes, and turned to the boy with a wide grin.

"I'm not Sazuko Yamanuki!" she giggled. "You and your master have been after the wrong girl this whole time. My name is Fuu, and I'm as far from being rich as you are from being tall!" Now it was the boy's turn to stare, his gray eyes frightened and wide.

"But... you look like her... you're the same age... you had bodyguards… and you both were supposed to be in Osaka at the same time... how can it not be you? Unless..." The boy glared now, his expression suddenly accusatory. "Unless you're lying to me! I'm taking you to my master!"

"I don't know what good it will do. You won't get anything for me; you may as well just let me go," Fuu said, sitting on the bed and calmly staring the little boy down. He blinked at her.

"But I can't do that. Master would kill me!" he exclaimed. Fuu rolled her eyes.

"Why in the world would he do that? _You're_ not the one who kidnapped the wrong hostage, after all. In fact - you'd probably get a promotion or something for realizing the mistake!" she said. The little boy brightened up at this.

"Yeah, you're right! Stay right here, I'm going to go inform Master! By the way, my name is Ishido!" he said excitedly, and was about to close the door behind him when Fuu called out.

"Ishido, wait!" The young boy paused, sticking his head around the heavy door. "Would you, um... do you know if my two friends are all right? Have you heard anything about them?" she asked worriedly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"All I know is that Gorin didn't give them enough poison to kill them," Ishido answered, then ducked out of the room. Fuu heaved a sigh of relief and laid back on the bed, staring at the paint cracking on the ceiling. She wondered if they would let her go... or if they would kill her.

Slowly, her thoughts drifted back to earlier that day when the little girl had first been frightened by her, then given her a flower later.

_Almost as though she thought I was someone else_, Fuu realized. _Who _is_ this Sazuko person, to put such fear in little children?_ She sighed again and her thoughts moved back to her companions.

"Please find me, guys... get me out of here..." she prayed to the emptiness, then closed her eyes and waited.

-----

"Yes, sir, she says her name is Fuu, and she's not rich at all! Broke, in fact!" Ishido was explaining to his Master. He was kneeling before a large makeshift dais, speaking to the shadowy figure that was his Master.

"You are sure?" the Master inquired slowly. Ishido shrugged.

"I have never seen nobility act like that, sir. And she was laughing at the fact that we thought she was Yamanuki's daughter. Perhaps Gorin got the wrong girl," Ishido said. The Master sighed deeply and nodded to the boy before him.

"Thank you, Ishido. I will look into it. You are dismissed." The little boy bowed and hurried out of the room.

The Master beckoned a long finger toward a man on his right, who stepped up and bowed.

"Find Gorin. Bring him here so that I may deal with him personally," he ordered. The man hesitated, then leaned over so he was closer to his Master's ear.

"Gorin has disappeared, sir. After he brought the girl he left to go challenge the samurai and vagrant bodyguards who had been accompanying her. We have heard nothing from him since, and that was hours ago," he explained in a hushed voice. The Master's lip curled.

"Fool. He most likely got himself killed," he drawled. He paused, then nodded to himself. "Bring the girl to me. We shall decide who she really is and what to do with her only after I have spoken with her."

"Yes, sir," the man conceded with a bow, then left the Master's side soundlessly.

**_Author's Note: _**Bum bum BUUUUUM. Comments, please!


	10. Mugen's Memento

**_Author's Note: _**I combined these two chapters to make one large one because they were both so short... not much time to type an intro today - just read and enjoy and comment!

**_Disclaimer: _**Still don't own "Samurai Champloo."

**Mugen's Memento**

Mugen was determined to find Jin's body before heading off to rescue Fuu.

After killing the assassin, he finally cleaned his sword and set off in the opposite direction of which he had originally been travelling.

It was hard to believe that Jin was dead. Mugen had found himself secretly appreciating the help of another powerful sword when times got rough. He had gotten used to the quiet ronin's comfortable presence, and especially the company of another man when Fuu got to be too much. He could barely imagine what travelling with Fuu would be like without the samurai as their third companion.

And it wasn't just the anguish of loss that made Mugen doubt Jin's death; how could a ruddy assassin manage to kill him when Mugen himself had never succeeded? That point in itself was enough to make Mugen rethink his grief.

As he trudged along the empty road, consumed in his thoughts, Mugen found himself absently checking every alley for anything that might help him find Jin. Any sign of battle, a body, an abandoned sword... anything.

At last, he found himself standing before the inn they had been staying at. To the right was the alley that Mugen had sprinted out of after his angry yelling fit; that was probably the best place to search for now.

He hadn't walked more than two yards into the alleyway before noticing something gleaming on the ground before him. As he stooped to pick the object up, he realized with a jolt that it was Jin's glasses, and also that they were neatly folded. Thinking that was rather odd, he glanced around the alley to see if he could spot anything else, but that was the only evidence.

Biting his lip, Mugen stuffed the specs into his pocket and took in a deep breath. He would keep them with him.

Just in case.

-----

Jin had understood the assassin. He had known that the man would be back to finish him off, along with Mugen, which was why he had told his companion to meet him outside. Jin had formed a plan, but his companion wouldn't listen. So the samurai had gone through with it on his own.

Sure enough, the killer returned. He entered the inn with the prospect of easily killing two heavily drugged men, and had exited the inn infuriated at being outwitted; it wouldn't be the first time that night.

The killer then searched the entire premises and the surrounding properties for Jin and Mugen, with no luck. He interrogated one old man who unluckily happened across his path, and the elder haltingly explained that a wild-haired vagrant had run out of the opposite alleyway toward the east. When asked about a bespectacled samurai, though, the old man knew nothing. Wrong answer; he was gutted.

The killer checked the opposite alley again and still found nothing, so he decided to follow the late old man's advice and go eastward.

There he found Mugen, and egged him on with lies about how he had killed his companion, not expecting the vagrant to respond so cruelly. The assassin lost his life.

Meanwhile, Jin had managed to avoid the killer (part one of the plan) and planted his glasses in the alleyway as a signal to Mugen that he was still alive and well, then headed out of Osaka for the rest of the plan.

"What can I do for you at this _extraordinarily_ late time?" the servant who answered at the manor house inquired, glowering blearily at the samurai standing in the doorway.

"I need to speak with Yamanuki-san. It's urgent," Jin said quietly. The servant frowned.

"I'm afraid you'll need to come tomorrow morning. My master is sleeping," he said chidingly.

"No, I'm not. Let him in, Yabu. If Jin wants to speak with me at this unearthly time, it must be important." A tall, lean man stepped into the lamplight behind the servant, smiling through his close-cropped beard. Yabu stepped aside reluctantly, and Jin passed him to enter the sprawling Yamanuki manor.

"I thought it was fortunate to see you earlier today, Jin, but _two_ visits in one day beats even that! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Yamanuki asked, leading Jin into a large sitting room.

"Your daughter is in danger," the samurai said bluntly, sitting across from his friend on a soft red cushion. Yamanuki frowned, shaking his head slightly as Yabu offered tea.

"Sazuko? How do you mean?"

"I noticed today, upon seeing your daughter, that she greatly resembles the young girl I am travelling with at the moment, named Fuu." Jin paused and licked his suddenly dry lips. "Fuu was kidnapped earlier tonight, after a failed attempt to do so yesterday. You had mentioned earlier that there was a very connected business man out to get your money, named Toraga?"

"Yes, but -"

"Hold on. I'm not finished," Jin interrupted. Yamanuki closed his mouth and nodded, looking rather paler than he had before. "The kidnapper used a very rare, very expensive, kind of poison tonight to knock myself and my companion out while taking Fuu. I knew he wouldn't be the type of man who could come by it himself; he must have been working for someone."

"Toraga," Yamanuki said quietly. Jin nodded.

"He was after your daughter, Yamanuki-san. He thinks he has her now, except he has mistaken my Fuu for your Sazuko. I don't doubt that you will get a ransom proposal sometime very soon." Jin stopped, but after Yamanuki said nothing, he added hurriedly, "I just thought I'd warn you." Yamanuki looked away, in the direction of his daughter's bedroom. Jin cleared his throat nervously. "I also need your help. More like cooperation, really." Yamanuki turned dull eyes back to his friend.

"I am very sorry about Fuu. But I don't see what I can do to help," he said slowly.

"I just need you to trust me." Yamanuki frowned, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"You have a plan?" Jin smiled humorlessly.

"I have a plan."

**_Author's Note: _**Trust the uber-cool samurai to always have a plan. -huggles Jin- YOU KNOW I COULDN'T KILL HIM!

Comments, please!


	11. Lifesaving Lies

**_Author's Note: _**Good Lord. I'm absolutely exhausted, and it's only the first week of school! And I'm really sorry for not updating sooner, you guys, but I just haven't been able to find the time or energy until now! (And even now, it's just the time. The energy is replaced by the guilt I feel at not updating for almost 5 days...)

As consolation, I'm updating with TWO chapters tonight. We're getting closer and closer to the conclusion, my friends. Get excited!

**_Disclaimer:_** I don't own "Samurai Champloo."

**Lifesaving Lies**

"FUU!" Fuu jolted awake at the sound of her name. She rubbed her eyes tiredly and sat up in bed, yawning.

"Ishido, what is it?" she asked. The little boy glanced around the room nervously, as though expecting something dark and scary to leap out of any one of the corners and gobble him up.

"You have to lie and say you're Sazuko Yamanuki," he said. Fuu raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, they'll kill you," Ishido answered anxiously. Fuu's mouth opened of its own accord, hanging wide.

"Bu - I - _what_?" she stammered. "I don't even know who this Sazuko girl _is_! How in the world can I act like her?" Ishido shrugged.

"Just pretend to be rich, and act like everything is beneath you. Oh! And also say that you lied to me to see if my Master would buy it and let you go - which he won't like, but if you play it right, it could work for you. Just flatter him by saying stuff like you shouldn't have tried it at all, now that you know who you're dealing with. Act kind of impressed with him, he'll like that," Ishido explained. Fuu nodded, eager for whatever help she could get.

"Should I know why they captured me - I mean, Sazuko - in the first place?" she asked.

"Yeah, your dad's filthy rich and my Master wants his money. You're part of the ransom deal."

"Why are you helping me?" Fuu wondered. Ishido flushed and looked down at the ground.

"I, er, don't like it when my Master kills innocent people. He doesn't do it often, but it bothers me when he does, you know?" he said quietly. Fuu smiled at him.

"Well, thank you."

They were interrupted by a loud knock on the door, and a tall man entered the room, glaring at Ishido.

"No talking to the prisoners, Ishido, you should know that," he scolded. Ishido glared at Fuu, then, pointing a small finger at her accusingly.

"She lied about the whole thing, you know! She just admitted it!" he yelled. The tall man raised an eyebrow at Fuu, who smiled with fake smugness and shrugged.

"What can I say? I thought I'd get away with it. But then this little brat -" _Sorry, Ishido,_ she thought, "- told me I'd probably get in more trouble if I kept pretending. I know all you want is my father's money. The sooner you make the deal with him, the better," Fuu said, hoping her acting chops were up to par. The tall man seemed to accept this, and he beckoned for her to follow him.

"All right, all right. Toraga wants to speak with you," he said. Fuu gulped and followed him out the door, stiff-backed and nervous. She hoped desperately that the man striding in front of her couldn't hear her frantically beating heart, nor sense her terrible nerves. _I really hope Mugen and Jin can get me out of this before I get too far in. What will Sazuko's father do when he realizes that I'm not actually his daughter? Will I be killed?_

"Ah, Miss Yamanuki. Please, make yourself comfortable." Fuu hadn't even noticed that they had reached their destination until she heard a charming male voice speaking to her alias. Her gaze swiftly moved to a dark silhouette of a man sitting on an elevated dais, his arm held out, motioning for her to take a seat. Fuu obeyed numbly, her heart still thumping loudly against her ribcage. She felt, but didn't see, the man break into a broad smile. "Miss Yamanuki. I assume you know that I heard of your shenanigans, and that I disapprove. I am, in fact, a little disappointed. I would have thought the daughter of a nobleman would have more... _sophistication_ when faced with a situation like this."

"I'm still a bit shaky about the whole thing, really," Fuu said quietly, trying desperately not to avert her eyes and give away the lie. "I was sure that my kidnappers would fall for the trick, but I can see now what I'm really up against. My father would be better off just giving you the money you want, wouldn't he?"

"Clever girl," the man said, his voice amused. Fuu began to hope that maybe she wouldn't be executed on the spot. "An emissary has already been dispatched. He will be arriving at your home any moment now, and proposing the ransom deal to your dear father. Your life, for ten thousand gold ryu." Fuu blanched inwardly at the sum, but managed to keep a calm outward appearance; such money would probably be usual for the Sazuko girl she was supposed to be acting like.

"Master." A new man entered the room, bowing deeply. "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but we have word of Gorin's whereabouts."

"And?" The Master's voice hardened, a drastic change from the sickeningly sweet tone he had been using with Fuu.

"He's dead, like you thought, Master. Someone really did a number on him. His body is completely ravaged, but we managed to salvage all the pieces before the police found him," the man explained. The Master didn't answer immediately, and there was a heavy silence for a few moments. Then:

"Pieces?" The messenger gulped.

"Yes, Master."

"Show me." The Master gracefully rose to his feet, and Fuu saw that he really was quite tall. He was about to exit the room when suddenly he turned back to her, beckoning. "Come. I'll show you what will happen to you should your father refuse my request." Fuu bit her lip nervously and followed him through the shadows into an adjoining room. As soon as she had passed through the threshold, the coppery scent of blood and death hit her like a ton of bricks, and she had to pause so as not to retch.

"Here, Master," the messenger said, gesturing to a cart that had been pulled into the large room. The Master kept a fair distance away from where the cart was, as did Fuu, but both could still see the terribly ruined corpse of a man lying in it. Fuu moaned and looked away, clutching her mouth with a shaking hand. Even though it was the body of the man who kidnapped her, she couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him. In the back of her mind, she vaguely wondered if it had been Jin or Mugen who had committed this murder, then allowed her thoughts to drift back to them.

_Please be safe, you two..._

-----

The Yamanuki household was dark and quiet.

The young man carrying his Master's proposal hesitated at the gate, wondering if he really wanted to do this. Why, oh, why had he volunteered for this job? Every shadow hid an assassin, and every soft breeze was a killer breathing down his neck. Finally steeling himself, the young messenger walked resolutely up the pathway leading to the front door, his gaze never straying from the cobblestones before him.

Maybe if he had taken _one _glance to his right, he could have prevented his demise.

The sword came from nowhere, and the young man had time only to widen his eyes before he was cut down and knew no more.

The silence following death was broken by the sound of a piece of paper being unfolded.

"Ten thousand gold ryu," a calm voice said from out of the darkness.

"Damn. And I actually would have had to _give _him that," cursed another quiet voice from near the house.

"Don't worry about that now. Just get it ready. I have work to do."

**_Author's Note: _**... I hope you know who's talking during the last part. I thought it was pretty obvious, but I've often been wrong about those kinds of things.

COMMENTS!


	12. Ruffian's Requiem

**_Author's Note: _**As promised, the second chapter of the night. Enjoy! I'm going to sleep.

**_Disclaimer: _**I didn't own "Samurai Champloo" when I started this, and I still don't.

**Ruffian's Requiem**

Mugen trudged along the abandoned street, his vacant stare aimed toward the veiled moon above. He wondered what time it was; it seemed like years ago since he had last seen Fuu and Jin...

_Jin_. A frown came to his face when he thought about the samurai; he had been pondering the circumstances of his so-called "death" and realized that he had no hard evidence that Jin was really dead. There was the blood on the assassin's blade, but that could have been anyone's. Then there was the fact that there was no body, and the glasses had been folded, as though someone had _planted_ them in the alleyway. Mugen found himself rethinking his grief more and more, and by the time he arrived at the city's limits he had just about convinced himself that Jin was alive.

Mugen paused at the last building, suffering one last glance back into the city that had plagued him and his friends since they had arrived.

"Good riddance," he muttered darkly, then hunched his shoulders and continued out of Osaka and into the darkness.

The silence that traveled with him was heavy; he found himself tempted to hum a little ditty just to break it. It seemed that even the insects of the night were hushed, and it made Mugen feel like the last man on earth.

It was not a pleasant feeling.

Finally, he halted, listening intently; he thought he had heard something move ahead of him on the road. Curious, Mugen ducked off the dirt path into the shrubbery along the side of the road, climbing ahead with thief-like stealth. He listened for the noise he had heard, and it became more constant and louder as he neared the source.

The moon provided only a meager supply of light, so Mugen had to strain his eyes to see out on the road as he drew level with it. It looked like a small cart, being pulled along by a donkey, being led by a man in a traveler's straw hat and robes. Mugen frowned; was the guy crazy, making a delivery by himself at this time of night? He tried to move a little to his right, so as to see the man's face before he got out of sight, but didn't notice the large branch beneath his foot until it snapped.

_CRACK_.

The donkey brayed nervously, and the travelling man stopped, holding the animal's long face between his hands and stroking it comfortingly. Mugen had ducked down with a hissed curse the moment the stick had broken, but surprisingly the traveler didn't even glance in his direction; the man stood motionless in the middle of the road, still trying to calm his donkey. There was something about the man's stance, something about how he was so obviously unruffled even while his donkey was spooked, that piqued Mugen's interest. He just had to see...

In a flash, his sword was unsheathed and he was upon the man. To his shock, the man took out his own sword from somewhere hidden in his robes and parried the blow with apparent ease. Mugen leapt out of the way just as the traveler returned the attack with a powerful side-to-side stroke that would have disemboweled any other opponent. Mugen was about to race in again, eager for a good challenge, when suddenly he stopped.

"Wait... I _know_ that attack..." he said slowly. "Jin?" The man lowered his sword and removed the hat, which had before hidden most of his face.

"Mugen?" Mugen would have recognized that quiet voice anywhere, even if the samurai did look a bit different without his glasses.

"Damn, you have no idea how glad I am to see _you_," Mugen said with a lop-sided grin. Jin cocked an eyebrow and sheathed his sword, as did Mugen, albeit more reluctantly.

"Likewise. Where have you been?" Mugen shrugged.

"Around. I killed the assassin." Jin fixed a sharp eye on his companion.

"You did?"

"Yeah... you surprised?" Mugen asked, frowning. Jin shook his head.

"Not really. I'm just wondering if he was really worth your time," Jin said quietly, turning back to the still-shaken donkey and placing a comforting hand on the animal's nose.

"Well, yeah," Mugen said, looking away shamefully. "He told me he'd killed you. And he'd already taken Fuu... so I was mad. I had to take it out on somebody. Oh, and here." Mugen held out Jin's glasses, and the samurai took them with a nod. To Mugen's relief, the ronin said nothing condescending and nothing that embarrassed him further. Jin understood that it had taken enough just for the vagrant to admit that Jin's death had meant something to him, and the samurai didn't comment on it, even if he didn't miss it.

"So what've you been up to? What's with the ass?" Mugen asked harshly, letting the moment pass. Jin sighed at Mugen's blunt wording, but decided to let that pass, as well.

"I'm going after Fuu."

"With an ass?"

"No, with ransom money and a plan."

"And an ass." Jin sighed.

"Yes, Mugen, and an ass. After all, _you're _coming, aren't you?"

"Ah, fuck off."

"Suit yourself." Jin re-donned the travelling hat and began to lead the donkey and cart away. Mugen stood for a few moments, sulking with his arms crossed, before he finally growled and followed.

"Okay, fine, now fill me in on this 'plan' you've come up with."

**_Author's Note: _**Thanks for reading, but don't forget to comment!


	13. Stylish Salvation

**_Author's Note: _**At last! This is the final chapter (besides the epilogue, also being added tonight.) of my Samurai Champloo fan-fiction. WOOT! -dances- I really hope you all liked it... now I just need to wait for swim season to be done so I can actually find time to write another story!

_**Disclaimer: **_Me no owny "Samurai Champloo."

**Stylish Salvation**

Fuu knew the dispatch had been sent out. Any moment it would arrive at the Yamanuki residence, and the man that was supposed to be Fuu's father would realize that his daughter was actually quite safe, and that the girl the Master had acquired wasn't of any relation to him whatsoever. Then he would refuse the ransom, and Fuu would most likely be killed.

_Great. This is just great_, she thought bitterly as she sat before the dais once more, hands folded neatly in her lap and eyes lowered. She had long since given up hope of Mugen and Jin saving her. How would they find her, if they were even able to? Fuu didn't even know the name _or_ face of the man who sat so arrogantly before her!

A boy entered the room at a run, stopping only to bow low before the shadowed man.

"Master, there is a man outside saying he has the ransom money. I looked in his cart, and it's filled to the brim with gold. Should I order it counted?" he asked breathlessly. The Master sat up straighter and turned his head toward Fuu.

"Perhaps you mean more to your father than you think. You will accompany me to the cart," the Master said. Fuu was about to rise on her own when two guards took her by the arms and dragged her roughly to her feet. She angrily tried to shake them off, but her teenage-girl strength was nothing compared to theirs. The Master finally stepped into the light and Fuu saw his face for the first time; he was a fairly handsome man, with piercing dark eyes and a dark beard that was neatly trimmed. He smiled at her charmingly and beckoned. The guards pulled Fuu along after him, and the girl realized that about twenty other armed men who seemed to have just melted out of the shadows of the room were flanking them.

_All this caution for a mere exchange of money? _Fuu wondered, eyeing the swords of the men around her warily. _And why is there money, anyway? Don't tell me that Yamanuki man actually thinks I'm his daughter! Or is it all a trap? And if it is, who is it for: me, or the Master?_

All this thinking made her head ache, so she just allowed herself to be escorted outside. The courtyard was dark, lit only by a few lamps along the building behind her, but Fuu could make out the hunched form of a man, standing before a small cart hitched to a donkey. The Master walked straight up to this man, flanked by four burly guards.

"Toraga, I presume?" Fuu heard the man ask, and her eyes widened; she knew that voice! Could it be? Her eyes frantically searched his person, looking for the trademark double swords, but his bulky travelling cloak and robes left her no opening, and she couldn't see his face because of the straw hat he wore.

"You presume correctly. Is it all here?" the Master, Toraga, asked, gesturing toward the cart. The travelling man chuckled softly, making Toraga back away slightly and the guards around him tense.

"It's all there, and more."

"What do you mean?" Toraga demanded. The traveler glanced up at Toraga and Fuu saw a gleam from under the shadowy recesses of the hat. Her heart soared; it _was_ him. He _had_ come for her.

"Why don't you look and see?" Toraga hesitated, and as he did, Fuu realized that something - some_one_ - was still missing. She knew who the travelling man was, but where was -

"GOTCHA!" Mugen leapt out of the back of the cart just as one of Toraga's guards went to pull back the tarp covering the gold. As the vagrant cut down the startled guard, Jin swiftly removed his own disguise and unsheathed his sword, as well.

"KILL THEM!" Toraga roared, his handsome face contorted into a mask of rage as he retreated from the cart. Fuu's arms were abruptly dropped as her two guards rushed in to join the fray. She scurried back, away from the fighting, and was about to turn and run when yet another guard blocked her way.

"You're not going anywhere, Miss Yamanuki. This little ploy of your father's has cost you your life - Master's orders," the guard said, raising his sword. Fuu glared at him.

"I'M NOT SAZUKO YAMANUKI!" she screamed, unsheathing her tanto from within her kimono and stabbing the man in the side. He dropped his sword with a cry of pain, and Fuu kicked him to the ground out of pure spite. Then she turned, satisfied, and came face-to-face with another guard. Before she could react, the man roared and swung at her; Fuu flinched, prepared for the impact, but the swing was parried and the man cut down before she could even take a breath. She blinked and looked up to see Jin smiling down at her.

"You okay?" he asked, flicking the blood off of his sword and glancing back at the battle. Fuu said nothing; she leaned forward and flung her arms around his torso, burying her face in his chest.

"Thank you," she mumbled into the cloth. Jin hesitated, then returned the embrace.

"You're welcome." Fuu sniffled, just realizing that she had been crying, and let him go, expecting him to run back to the battle. Instead, he took up a defensive position in front of her. "Now stay put."

Three guards ran at them; two were cut down by one of Jin's deadly horizontal slices, both bleeding from deep gashes in their abdomens, and the last was unlucky enough to have his head hacked off by another sweep of the ronin's blade. Encouraged by this protection, and making sure no one was approaching from behind her, Fuu finally turned her attention to the rest of the fighting.

Mugen was easily spotted, taking down enemy after enemy in a flurry of unusual attacks. Blood sprayed up all around him, and the effect made him seem perfectly malicious. Fuu noticed some of the guards hesitating to get near him, and she really didn't blame them; Mugen was completely merciless. She had to wince as two guards ran at his back one after the other, only to be caught on the end of his sword like a couple of dumplings on a stick. Mugen wrenched the sword from their middles just in time to decapitate yet another approaching guard, shoving the twitching body aside when it threatened to collapse on him.

Soon there were only six guards left, and when Mugen came for them, they fled like a bunch of dogs. Jin finished off the last man still trying to get to Fuu by stabbing him in the chest, then twisting the blade and ripping it out with the terrible sound of steel grating against bone.

"Mugen." Mugen looked away from the retreating guards, contemplating whether or not to chase them down and finish them off, and toward Jin. The samurai pointed silently to one last man, cowering in the shadowy corner near the door. Fuu recognized the silhouette as that of Toraga.

Mugen strode over to the man and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him completely off the ground.

"Have mercy, please, please, mercy..." Toraga whimpered. Mugen sneered.

"Mercy? You want me to have _mercy_ on you? Tell me this." The vagrant turned Toraga's head roughly towards Fuu, who stepped back at the terrified look in the helpless man's eyes. Jin put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Would you have had mercy on that innocent girl if she had begged you?" Mugen growled. Toraga only babbled nonsense under his breath, his eyes already seeing the doom that lay before him. Mugen spat. "Pathetic."

The next moment, Mugen's sword was in Toraga's chest, having entered through his stomach and been aimed upward. Mugen twisted the blade ruthlessly and held it there until the man's dying throes were complete. Then he dropped the ravaged body to the ground and sighed.

"Well, that's that."

Fuu stared, open-mouthed, at her blood-soaked companion.

"Mugen?" she whispered. Mugen finally tore his gaze from the corpse at his feet and smiled at Fuu, sheathing his sword.

"Come on. We're leaving, and we're gonna take you with us, if you don't mind," he said. Fuu returned the smile.

"I don't mind."

Jin sighed and walked calmly through the bodies littered all over the courtyard, headed toward the panicked donkey and its money-filled cart. The animal shied away from him at first, but Jin shushed it and began to stroke its head.

"Maybe we should keep the ass," Mugen said, watching with amusement as the donkey collected itself under the ronin's gentle touch. "It seems to like him." Fuu grinned, but was saved from commenting by Jin's quiet voice.

"One ass is enough to travel with, I think." Mugen growled, but the samurai didn't even lift his head. "We should head back to Yamanuki's. He'll be wanting his money," he continued softly. Fuu frowned, questions that had been momentarily forgotten suddenly resurfacing in her mind.

"Why _did_ he send the money? Didn't he know I wasn't his daughter?" Fuu asked.

"Of course he knew. He was in on the whole plan; he's an old friend of mine. I had visited him earlier today, in fact," Jin explained.

"Oh," was all Fuu could say.

The three companions departed from the scene of the massacre without another word, but none was needed. After the past couple days they had realized that each others' company was all any of them really wanted.

**_Author's Note: _**Aww... how happy. (Or sappy. Whichever you prefer.) COMMENTS! And be sure to read the epilogue...


	14. Epilogue

**_Author's Note: _**Very short chappy. But the last one, so 'tis sad. -nods- Enjoy!

**_Disclaimer: _**YES! Last time I have to say "I don't own 'Samurai Champloo.'"

**Epilogue**

Ishido stood in the doorway, looking out on the bloody courtyard in disbelief.

How could it have failed? How could _he_ have failed? He'd had them right in the palm of his hand. All of them: the money, the girl, the ronin, and the vagrant. And they had escaped. Nothing had gone right. The ploy had failed.

He walked impassively over to the shadows that hid the mauled corpse of Toraga. Upon approaching the man, he wrinkled his nose, disgusted.

"What a fool," he muttered, nudging the body with the toe of his sandal. Someone walked up behind him; Ishido cocked his head to show he was listening. "Speak."

"We know where they are headed next. We can still catch the trio, but the money is gone." Ishido nodded and turned away from Toraga's remains to face the man behind him.

"Fine. You are dismissed," he said airily. The man bowed.

"Yes, Master." Then he scurried away into the darkness.

Ishido again surveyed the courtyard, and his eyes were brought once more to Toraga.

_How funny_, he thought, as he strode back into the building, _would it have been for Toraga to find out that the 'higher power' he served had actually been below him the whole time._

_**Author's Note: **_Hmm... sequal, perhaps? How about it? COMMENTS, PLEASE! ANY FEEDBACK AT ALL!

Oh, and good-bye for now! -waves-_  
_


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